The Sudanese Mineral Resources Company announced that the country’s gold production reached 37.3 tons during the first half of 2025, marking a significant increase compared to recent years, despite the ongoing war and its economic and social repercussions. These figures were revealed by the company’s general manager, Mohamed Tahir Omar, during a meeting with a group of journalists in Khartoum.
Omar explained that production was concentrated primarily in the River Nile, Northern, and Red Sea states, while new company offices are currently being opened in South Kordofan, bringing the number of gold-producing states to seven, although this number is still lower than the pre-war period when gold production comprised 14 states.
The general manager indicated that the number of workers in the traditional mining sector has increased significantly, reaching approximately 4 million people, compared to 2 million before the outbreak of the war. He attributed this increase to the cessation of many public and private economic activities, which pushed a large segment of citizens to work in mining, in addition to the inflow of significant capital into the sector after previous investments in other sectors had ceased.
Omar revealed that Sudan exported 64 tons of gold last year, while production peaked in 2017 at approximately 107 tons before declining to 41.8 tons in 2018 and then to only 6.4 tons in 2023 due to the outbreak of war. He added that gold smuggling remains a major challenge for the sector, with company data indicating that approximately 48% of the gold produced in 2024 was smuggled, compared to only 52% exported through official channels.
He also noted that the number of registered companies in the mining sector reached 162, including 40 foreign companies, while only 30 actually produce. In the small-scale mining sector, approximately 220 companies are registered, but only 70 of them produce. Omar confirmed that the company has initiated procedures to revoke the licenses of companies that do not comply with contracts with the Sudanese government. He also revealed plans to introduce a modern electronic system to monitor gold and mineral production sites via satellite by the last quarter of this year. This aims to control production and limit smuggling and the unsafe use of chemicals that are harmful to health and the environment.
In a related context, the Director General referred to an initiative put forward by the company to enable the state to own gold by purchasing it directly from producers, but that it has not yet made progress. He also explained that the produced gold is owned by the private sector and is free to export it to the destinations of its choice, calling for patience until the government can find suitable alternatives and open new markets for Sudanese gold exports.
The Central Bank of Sudan announced, in its annual report for 2022, that gold topped the country’s list of non-oil exports, accounting for 46.3% of Sudan’s total foreign exports, valued at $2.02 billion out of the country’s total exports of $4.357 billion.
